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Reggie Tries To Explain Why 3DS Uses Friend Codes, We're Still Confused
We all hate friend codes. That's why many were disappointed to learn that the 3DS will be utilizing the much-maligned system when it releases in a couple of months. MTV recently spoke with Nintendo of America COO Reggie Fils-Aime about the decision, and he offered this response.
"The thing that we've learned is that there are some games that you want to battle head to head, but you don't want to necessarily want that other player to have full access to the space. Probably the best example is something like Animal Crossing. We may want to trade items in Animal Crossing, but do I really want the potential for you to come into my town and maybe disrupt it in some way? That's what friend codes are all about. There are certain games where friend codes are important. There are other games where, because of the head to head nature of the gameplay, it really isn't necessary."
Does this really explain anything? Let's say that Animal Crossing was on Xbox 360 instead of 3DS. Live doesn't use friend codes, but there would be nothing stopping you from exchanging items with people while still keeping them out of your town. All it would take is a simple "(USER) wants to enter your town. Would you like to allow this?" message. Reggie's response seemed like a non-answer to a question we've been asking for quite a while.
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